“Best Picture goes to…”
Wait! I missed it because I was totally engrossed in my Twitter and Facebook feeds. To that end my favorite tweet of the night was this one:
No, it's been too long! RT @dkny: Remember when we used to watch TV without typing? On anything?
— Bella ? (@ciaobella50) February 25, 2013
For millions of us, social media and TV go hand-in-hand. And when an internationally televised event like the Superbowl or Oscars is on, all bets are off.
Fashion obsessed viewers like myself no longer have to wait for E! News to crown best and worst dressed of the evening. By the time I looked up at the TV screen I was already biased against Halle Berry’s ensemble based on my feed and knew there were one too many huge hairdos for the night.
But how does this impact brands? I assume that hundreds of social media managers got little to no sleep that night as they attempted to cut through the clutter and relate products and services to Hollywood’s biggest night and the millions of us who tune in each year.
Which brands would take home an Oscar if it were a real category? That’s a matter of opinion but PR Daily published a solid Oscars real-time marketing (#oscarsrtm) summary on Monday that sung praises for Smart Car’s clever use of Vine and Chobani’s lightheartedness about the legal roadblocks of creating content that uses the Oscars name. Many other brands tossed their hat into the ring, some better than others, and taught all of us valuable lessons about how to capitalize on such events correctly.
- Don’t force it. If hours of brainstorms and research turn up no relevant tie between your brand and an event, it’s probably best to sit it out and dedicate resources elsewhere.
- Preparation is critical. Memorable executions are meant to feel like they were created on the fly but in most cases, teams prep for days and weeks to pull off a seamless execution. However, you don’t have to have a huge team to make it work. A social media manager who has been given the green light and trust of leadership can have a major impact with carefully thought out content and real-time responses sent in the brand’s voice.
- Be a part of the conversation and be prepared to respond in real-time, especially if you’re planning anything controversial. To that end, have your social media crisis response plan updated and at the ready.
Which brands impressed you on Oscar night and which tweets and posts fell flat?
Alexis Anderson is a Los Angeles transplant living in Colorado. While she loves the Colo. lifestyle, she still can’t seem to shake her obsession with Hollywood award shows.
